Baptism

Sometimes I feel the need to write outside of my journal to sum up what I have been learning in general. I write so much in my journal, that some things get lost. Our sermons at church have been over the book of John. I usually try to have my quiet times in the morning surrounding the book that our pastor is preaching on Sundays. My quiet times never keep up and the pastor goes on to the next book and I move on with him. You get the idea. The pastor is about to move onto John Chapter 2, but I feel the need to go off and study something in Chapter 1 - baptism. After studying John 1:19-34 and cross referencing the verses, the Bible mentions three different baptisms: Water Baptism, Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Baptism with Fire. Now, I know there is a lot of controversy regarding the baptisms and I'm not really going to go into the philosophy behind them. I'm going where my quiet times take me and that I have no idea. I started by looking up the word "Baptism" in the Strong's Concordance and studying the verses mentioned.

Baptism (Strong's Concordance 908) - from 907

907 - derived of 911; to make overwhelmed (i.e. fully wet)
911 - to overwhelm, i.e. cover wholly with a fluid, to moisten or stain

The first verses I studied were Matthew 20:20-23 (spec. 22 & 23):

Matthew 20:20-23 (NKJ)
"Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down & asking something from Him.

And He said to her, 'What do you wish?'

She said to Him, 'Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand & the other on the left, in Your kingdom.'

But Jesus answered and said, 'You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?'

They said to Him, 'We are able.'

So He said to them, 'You will indeed drink My cup, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand & on My left is not mine to give, but it is for those whom it is prepared by My Father.'"

I cross-referenced Matthew 20:20-23 with other verses and here is my summing it up what I learned.

1. Christ came to wake us up! (Isaiah 51:17-22)
2. Grasp what Christ has done at the cross (Matthew 26:39, 42, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42) - He died a death we were deserving of. He was committed to doing the Father's will, even when it meant dying for a dying people.
3. Jesus was committed to the cross (John 18:11, Luke 12:50) - as we should be committed to Him and what He has done for us
4. We must be willing to suffer as He did for the sake of others coming to know Him (Romans 8:17, 2 Corinthians 1:7)
5. Consul others as Christ has consoled us (2 Corinthians 1:7)
6. Be willing to go where God has called you (rather it be at McD's or a far off island) (Revelation 1:9)

I don't plan on writing all I learn on here or what I come across. I just felt this was just part of a whole that stood out to me that I wanted to pull together in one place. I may be sharing more later, but for now...

I also have a challenging question for any reader that might stumble upon this and also for myself:

Are you (Am I) able and willing to commit yourself (myself) to the 6 statements above?